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A New Joint in Houston Is Already One of My Top BBQ Destinations

DATE POSTED:October 7, 2026
overhead photo of food trayDigital subscribers can listen to this article. Subscribe today for unlimited access to Texas Monthly. Already a subscriber? Log in. Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela have opened a Houston barbecue gem. Writing that gives me déjà vu. I felt the same way in 2018, when Willow’s Texas BBQ shone brightly before shutting down thirteen months later, when it ran out of money after paying for an expensive health-department permit. In 2021 the couple resurrected their barbecue careers in glorious fashion at J-Bar-M Barbecue, where Villarreal was pitmaster and Barela was executive chef. In April of the following year, a month after my favorable review, they left the restaurant after a disagreement with the ownership. Thus began a years-long journey to open their own place.Willow’s Smokehouse &…

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